All Chapters of Her Choice To Make : Chapter 61 - Chapter 70

Tessa's POV:As class went on with the professor's voice deep and steady, every so often, I felt the heat of his eyes on me.At first, I thought I was imagining it, but no, each time I raised my head, the professor always had his gaze fixed on me before quickly turning back to the board.By the time he ended the lecture with a crisp, “Review the reading for tomorrow,” my heart was in my throat.What did he want?The class began to shuffle out in a familiar rustle of backpacks and chairs.I closed my notebook, trying to blend into the crowd, but just as I rose to leave, a quiet voice stopped me.“Tessa?”I froze.When I turned, he was looking directly at me with an expression that was somehow both gentle and searching.“Yes, Professor?” I managed, my voice catching.He waved me over, a kind but firm gesture.The rest of the class filed out, leaving a hush behind, the echoes of chatter and footsteps fading to a silence. I approached slowly, clutching my notebook to my chest like a shie

Tessa’s POV: The rooftop was quiet, a small, hidden world above the chaos of classes and laughter and footsteps.I liked to come up here sometimes, just to breathe. The view stretched far beyond the city blocks, a collage of terracotta rooftops, swaying trees, and tiny dots of people that felt miles away from my own spinning thoughts.Today, Noah followed me.It was our free period, and neither of us had classes for the next hour. We’d left the cafeteria together. The moment we climbed the narrow stairway and stepped out into the open air, I felt free.The wind on the rooftop cut through me like tiny knives, and I welcomed the sting. Sometimes, pain felt easier than the confusion that had settled like a stone in my chest since coming here, this place, this life, the entire second chance I still didn’t know how to hold.Noah had insisted he come up here with me. I’d let him, mostly because I was tired, too tired to argue, and maybe because a small part of me was curious.He’d been act

Tessa’s POV:I regretted the words the second they left my lips.I regretted the way I’d turned my back on Noah, the way I’d cut him down and left him raw on the rooftop.Even if he’d hurt me, even if our past was tangled in darkness, he didn’t deserve to be alone like that.By the time my next class ended, the guilt had already curdled inside me, clawing at my ribs. I tried to push it away, but his broken expression was burned into the backs of my eyelids.Apologize, I told myself, teeth sinking into my lip until I tasted blood. At least apologize.So I went back.Up to the rooftop, hoping he’d still be there, maybe smoking one of those cheap cigarettes, pretending he didn’t care about the world.But the rooftop was empty.A sharp, cold wind rattled the loose fencing and whipped against my face, carrying Noah’s fading scent.He was gone.I turned away, heart clenching painfully, and stepped toward the stairwell when movement below caught my eye.A familiar figure, shoulders slumped,

Tessa's POV: I had seconds, maybe a minute, before they came crashing in.I had to get to Noah.Shoving the adrenaline back into my bloodstream, I half-ran, half-limped across the battered floor, my injured leg throbbing from where Joshua’s claws had raked me.I found the basement door off the kitchen, yanked it open, and was nearly gagged by the moldy air wafting up.“Noah!”I heard a muffled sound in return.The stairs were steep, half-rotted, and creaking under my bare, blood-smeared feet.Down there, it was dark except for an unsteady light from the bulb dangling overhead.Noah was tied to a chair, duct tape over his mouth, bruises already forming along his jaw. His eyes went wide when he saw me, then softened with relief so sudden it made my heart squeeze.I ran to him, tearing the tape from his mouth, then working at the knots holding him in place.“Tessa,” he croaked, voice shaking, “Tessa, are you okay?”I let out a shuddering laugh, more tears breaking free. “Am I okay?” I e

Tessa’s POV:I stood frozen at the doorway, my hand still clinging to the frame as I watched Lucian’s ragged breathing. Everything he’d told me, about Olivia, about being forced out, about following my scent, rang in my ears like a nightmare I couldn’t shake.I wanted to believe he was lying.I needed to believe it was a lie, because the thought of sweet, loving Olivia staging a coup and taking over the pack was too much to bear.But a part of me, the part that had seen countless betrayals firsthand, was screaming that I couldn’t leave this unproven.Slowly, heart pounding, I stepped back into the room.Lucian stirred at the sound, eyes fluttering open with an exhausted, half-pained sigh.“Tessa,” he rasped.I swallowed hard, forcing the trembling in my hands to calm. “Don’t move,” I murmured, inching closer until I stood right by the side of his bed.His hand rested on the sheets, bruised and cut, but still unmistakably his.I stared at it for a long moment, then reached down, lettin